Bayerisches Viertel

I was out and about recently trying to build up my archives a bit when I came across this large-scale mural near the Bayerischer Platz. It's a rendering of how the square looked in its heydey. Unfortunately, the decorative structures and fountains in the middle didn't survive the war and weren't rebuilt. It's still a fun neighborhood to explore though. It's Monday again and you'll find more murals at Monday Mural.

Send your light

I can never resist taking a candle shot in a church. This one comes from Saint Matthäus church near Potsdamer Platz.

A phoenix in Berlin

Look closely and you'll see a Phoenix rising above the Berliner Philharmonie building in the middle of Berlin's Kulturforum. 

The bird was designed by Berlin native Hans Uhlmann and represents how the city of Berlin arose from the ashes of WWII and once again became a bright and vibrant city. The Kulturforum is just a short walk from Potsdamer Platz, which itself is a symbol of the reunification of East and West.

Telespargel reflected

At look at the Fernsehturm (aka the Telespargel) as reflected in one of the buildings on Alexanderplatz. 

Another look at the TV Tower in her full glory. You'll find more reflections and Weekend Reflections and for more skies, head to Skywatch.

This is my last weekend as an unemployed person, so I'm trying me best to make the most of it! It's a bit cold for golf, but I do plan on going to see a movie and perhaps do a little shopping for a first day outfit. What about you? Do you  have any fun plans for the weekend?

Wasserturm

This lovely old water tower in Prenzlauerberg is a well-known landmark that most locals would recognize. The tower had good beginnings as a place for water to be stored and distributed to residents of the area, but later darker things happened here. It was used as a prison under the nazis and it is said prisoners were often tortured within the tower's walls.

 

Today the structure has been renovated and the floors are divided into apartments. The building is owned by the state, so there's a long wait-list to live inside the building. However, there have been reports of strange happenings and hauntings in some of the units. I'd love to take a look inside, haunted or not!

PS: Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! Please eat a slice of pumpkin pie for me. 

Crest

A crest found in the Nikolaiviertel. I'm not sure who it belongs to, but I think it looks good in black and white. What about you? For more signs take a look at Signs, Signs.

Shiny stones

These cobblestones were slightly shiny on this rainy, autumn day. I thought it gave them a nice look, but be careful not to slip!

Nikolaiviertel

It's been awhile since I've featured a buddy bear, so I thought I'd show you this cute and colorful guy who watches over the historic Nikolaiviertel. 

PS: After three interviews, I am soon to be amongst the gainfully employed! Thanks for all of your positive thoughts and encouraging words. I know they helped.

Shadow shapes

Those big windows right above the museum entrance let in so much wonderful light! I love the lines and shapes they created here on the floor, though I found it almost hard to keep my eyes open.

This is the end of our tour of the Kunstgewerbemuseum, I hope you've enjoyed it. We've been having good museum weather here in Berlin - cold and rainy - but I think I'll take a break from the galleries for awhile and show some city shots. Don't forget to stop by Shadow Shot Sunday for more shadows.

Have a seat

This big bench is just inviting visitors to take a seat while looking at all the different items on display at the Kunstgewerbemuseum.

Any way you look at it

I love the really graphic signs at the Kunstgewerbemuseum. The Garderobe sign is very eye-catching, especially since you see it here forwards and backwards. The people at the cashier desk looked at me a little funny while I was taking this picture, but it's such a perfect reflection, I couldn't resist! You'll find more of them at Weekend Reflections.

It's Friday again and I've got my third interview for the job scheduled for this afternoon. Keep everything crossed for me, though I've got a good feeling I'm soon to be amongst the gainfully employed. That will be a very happy day for me!

Limoges vase

Limoges is a city in Central France known for its beautiful vases painted with the email technique (enamel paint on copper). This little beauty was painted in 1927 by artist Henriette Marty. I just love the little bird and his bright blue color.

PS: Don't forget to stop by Halcyon Travels for a look at my recent trip to Israel.

Fashion

I freely admit that the Mode or fashion section of the museum was my absolute favorite. There is just something so fascinating at looking back on the styles of days gone by. I hope you'll indulge me as this post will have a few more photos than usual.

I am sure every woman has secretly dreamed of wearing one of these beautiful silk ball gowns and twirling around like a princess.

I do admit, I sometimes wish I had been born in an age where we could wear these kinds of dresses, but then I remember how restrictive and uncomfortable they really must be and I'm glad for my yoga pants.

This asymmetrical silk dress from the 1930s could probably still pass muster in a runway show today.

And this hot number from the 1950s would still look great on the red carpet. Some looks are timeless. Hope I haven't bored you with all these pictures of dresses. You'll find more signs at Signs, Signs.
  
PS: Don't forget to stop by Halcyon Travels for a look at my recent trip to Israel.

Art deco glass

These two art deco period stained glass windows were originally created in the 1920s by artist César Klein for the apartment of famed Berlin art collector Wolfgang Gurlitt. Wouldn't you love to have something so beautiful in your home? They'd look especially nice in my south-facing living room.

PS: I have my in-person interview today. Please cross your fingers and hold your thumbs for me!

Kunstgewerbemuseum

This week I'm going to take you on a little tour of the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts). This was my last stop on my Museum Tour before my yearly card expired. They have a large and varied collection from porcelain vases to fancy ball gowns from the 17th century. I hope you enjoy the tour!

PS: Don't forget to stop by Halcyon Travels for a look at my recent trip to Israel.

Stripes on stripes

Serendipity! I was in the right place at the right time. This woman in the stripey sweater was crossing the bridge in Volkspark Wilmersdorf just as the sun was making those wonderful stripey shadows from the barrier rails. Hope you have been having a wonderful weekend. It's rainy and gray here, but I'm planning to visit the Kathe Kollwitz Museum later on. Hopefully they will allow photos and I can share my visit with you. Until then, you can see more shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday.  

Memoria Urbana Berlin

This beautiful dome structure celebrates freedom of conscience and immigration. It stands on the ground of the former Bethlehem Church which was a center of worship for religious outcasts from Bohemia who were invited to resettle in what was then Prussian Berlin by Frederick William I.

Unfortunately, the original church was destroyed during the bombings of WWII, but this monument entitled Memoria Urbana Berlin was erected as a temporary art installment in 2013. It was so well-received that local administrators got permission to make it permanent. With the recent wave of immigrants and refugees to Germany, I find this memorial even more poignant. We need only to look to the past to help shape the future.

I hope you have a blue sky weekend ahead of you. It's looking a bit gray and cloudy here, but we've had such a spectacular fall, I can hardly complain. You'll find more skies at Skywatch.


PS: Don't forget to stop by Halcyon Travels for a look at my recent trip to Israel.

Chapel entrance

A perfect scene in black and white.

PS: Don't forget to stop by Halcyon Travels for a look at my recent trip to Israel.

Windows and bench

I was traveling through Schlesisches Tor station recently and just had to stop for a photo. The windows and the bench made for such a perfect scene. Hope you agree! For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

PS: Don't forget to stop by Halcyon Travels for a look at my recent trip to Israel.

Lenin and the blue door

You may wonder where statues of former dictators go? I can tell you where at least one is! This likeness of Lenin stands in front of a removal company in Kreuzberg. Lenin was removed from his original spot near Alexanderplatz after the fall of the Wall. I guess someone just couldn't bear to see him destroyed, or the removal company thought it would have some kitsch value. I wonder how many young people would even recognize his face today. I admit, I wouldn't have known who this was.

PS: Don't forget to stop by Halcyon Travels for a look at my recent trip to Israel.

Two years in Berlin!

It's hard to believe I've been in Berlin for two whole years now. Blogging has been a good motivator to get me out and about with my camera and I hope you've enjoyed exploring the city with me. This is another look out over the Spree from Monbijou Park with the Berliner Dom in the background. I am loving this season!

Though I've only been in Berlin for two years, I have been a member of City Daily Photo since 2007. I've made so many friends through this blog and my previous blogs and I've even had the good fortune to meet a few of you in person. Here's to many more years in Berlin, or wherever the winds may take me.

Autumn day on the Spree

What a gorgeous season it has been. I have enjoyed strolling through the city with my camera, not only because of the beautiful colors, but also because of the unseasonably warm weather. Hope you are also having a wonderful fall season and a great weekend. For more shadows, take a look at Shadow Shot Sunday. And don't forget to take a look at Halcyon Travels for pictures from my recent trip to Israel.

Balls of color

I was recently invited to dine at the Wannseeterassen and I was immediately taken by these colorful light fixtures that greet guests in the foyer. I like how they shine and reflect at the same time. You'll find more reflections at Weekend Reflections.

It's Friday again! I've got my phone interview this afternoon which I'm nervous and excited about. Maybe I'll be back in the workforce before the holidays, I hope so. Do you have any big plans for the weekend? My hubs is out of town, so I will probably spend some leisurely time wandering the city with my camera or hanging out in a coffee shop. Whatever your plans are, have fun!

Change of season

I love the wander through cemeteries at any time of year, but it feels especially poignant in the autumn. I love the way this grave was graced by one fallen leaf. 

I was in Munich recently and did a few walking tours. On one of the tours, I met a Canadian lady from Ontario. She is a history teacher and usually comes to Germany with her school groups, but this time she was on her own. We got to talking and it turns out she lives not far from where my husband used to work in Toronto. When the tour was over, she gave me a lucky loonie. I feel bad, because I don't even know her name, but I am sure this loonie has already brought me some luck as I have a phone interview for a promising job tomorrow. Keep fingers and toes crossed for me. And don't forget to take a look at Halcyon Travels for pictures from my recent trip to Israel.

The music room

This was my favorite room! It was filled with old music boxes and other mechanical objects. The best part was, they are all still operational and the curator gave us a demonstration of some of the pieces.

 I really liked the one-man-band, it reminded me of Bert from Mary Poppins. 

And this organ was produced right here in Berlin. Just look at how beautifully the name is painted on the instrument. If you like this kind of sign and others, take a look at Signs, Signs. I hope you've enjoyed this tour of the Märkisches Museum, I think it's time to move on to other things.

PS: I've got pictures from my recent trip to Israel on Halcyon Travels. Stop by and take a look.

The religious room

Sometimes it seemed like the rooms at the Märkisches Museum would never end - there was so much variety in the exhibits. This room was dedicated to religious artifacts collected from Berlin churches over the years. A school class was visiting on the day I was there and these three girls stayed back to marvel over the alterpiece.

I, however, marveled over this piece. I'm not sure what the story is, but it looks like that fellow in the middle is having his head stepped on by Jesus. Ouch!

PS: I've got pictures from my recent trip to Israel on Halcyon Travels. Stop by and take a look!

Looking through

We're back to the Märkisches Museum. As I said before, I really loved the architecture and the details in this museum, like this wonderfully painted doorway. 

In the next room, there were some nice paintings on display, including this one of the Neue Kirche (aka Deutsche Dom) on Gendarmenmarkt. The church is called the "New Church" because it was built after the Reformation had been accepted in Berlin. When Berlin's leaders started leaning towards the reform teachings of Luther and Calvin, Catholic cathedrals were simply converted to protestant churches. Thus, it was nice for parishioners in this part of the city to have a brand new place to worship.

November theme day: Ephemeral

I admit, I had some problems with this month's theme day. I couldn't find any recent photos that I liked, so I went back to the archives. There's nothing quite so ephemeral as a rainbow - especially a double one! I shot this one with my iPhone back in July after a quick, but heavy shower on the golf course. I imagine we'll be seeing lots of rainbows today, but I hope this one brings you a smile. For more ephemeral images, click here.